Verse Craft STAAR Prompts Document
STAAR Redesign Format
Short Constructed Response (SCR)
Stimulus: "The Blacksmith of the North Wind" by E. R. Caldwell
Grade 7 Reading Language Arts
Assessment Supplement • Page 1 of 4
TEKS 7.9D TEKS 7.9F TEKS 7.6B
Student:
Date:
Period:
Directions for Constructed Response
Read the question carefully. Then enter your response in the box provided. Ensure your answer includes a clear claim, relevant textual evidence from the poem, and thorough explanation that connects your evidence to your claim.
QUESTION 13 Short Constructed Response • 2 Points
In "The Blacksmith of the North Wind," how does the poet use figurative language or sound devices to establish the commanding mood of winter’s arrival?
Support your answer with direct text evidence from the poem.
Student Response Box Max: 475 Characters
STAAR 2-Point SCR Success Criteria
1. Claim Directly answers the prompt naming specific craft (e.g., metaphor, strong verbs, or syntax pauses).
2. Evidence Includes exact quoted lines or phrases from Caldwell's poem.
3. Explanation Explicitly explains how the text evidence creates a formidable, commanding mood.
STAAR Grade 7 Reading Language Arts Assessment Suite PAGE 1 OF 4
STAAR Redesign Format
Extended Constructed Response (ECR)
Single-Text Stimulus: "The River's Memory" by L. M. Vasquez
Grade 7 Informational Essay
Assessment Supplement • Page 2 of 4
TEKS 7.7A TEKS 7.9D TEKS 7.11B
Passage Focus: "The River's Memory" (Lines 1–16)
In this poem, Vasquez portrays a river flowing past abandoned industrial machines ("engines rust," "miller's wheel," "rusted gear," "mighty mills collapse"). The river is depicted as an ancient, gentle archivist who cleans away human scars and keeps her promise to flow unbroken through time.
QUESTION 14 Extended Constructed Response • Informational Essay (5 Points)
Read the poem "The River’s Memory." Based on the details in the poem, write a response explaining how the poet uses personification and imagery to develop the central theme that nature quietly outlasts human accomplishments.
Write a well-organized informational essay that uses specific evidence from the poem to support your answer.
Remember to —
- Clearly state your central idea (thesis)
- Organize your writing with clear transitions
- Develop your ideas with relevant details
- Use specific evidence from the poem
- Explain how evidence supports your thesis
- Use correct spelling, grammar & punctuation
Pre-Writing Graphic Organizer (Plan Before Writing)
1. Personification & Actions of the River
How is the river described as human?
Key Quotes (cradles, masks, whispers, promises):
2. Human Decay vs. Nature's Endurance
What happens to human mills & engines?
Key Quotes (engines rust, mills collapse, unbroken):
Draft Your Central Idea (Thesis Statement):
Turn to Page 3 to record your final written essay PAGE 2 OF 4
Question 14 Continued
Extended Constructed Response Essay
Stimulus: "The River's Memory" by L. M. Vasquez
Candidate Response Booklet • Page 3 of 4
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Final Checklist:
Central Idea Stated Evidence from Vasquez Personification Analyzed Paragraph Transitions Punctuation & Spelling
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Aligned Assessment PAGE 3 OF 4 • STOP
Educator Reference
Teacher Scoring Guide & Exemplars
Texas TEA STAAR Redesign Rubrics & Anchor Models (Grade 7 RLA)
Answer Key & Rubric
Page 4 of 4
Question 13: SCR Scoring Rubric & Model (Caldwell's "The Blacksmith") TEKS 7.9D, 7.9F, 7.6B
Score Point 2 Complete and accurate claim; relevant text evidence cited; clear explanation linking craft to the commanding, formidable mood.
Score Point 1 Partial response; claim is vague OR evidence is missing/misapplied; weak or incomplete explanation of mood.
Score Point 0 Incorrect, irrelevant, or insufficient response; merely restates prompt without textual support.
Score Point 2 Model Exemplar:
"In 'The Blacksmith of the North Wind,' Caldwell uses an extended metaphor and forceful verbs to create a commanding and formidable mood. The speaker characterizes the winter storm as a 'giant blacksmith' who 'heaves his silver maul' and 'slams the gate—he locks the forest door.' By comparing the wind's arrival to a blacksmith striking heavy metal with abrupt punctuation pauses, the poet emphasizes winter's unyielding strength, showing that the season forcefully takes control and traps all living creatures under its freezing power."
✓ Clear claim answers prompt • Exact text evidence cited • Explicit connection to commanding mood.
Question 14: Single-Text ECR Rubric & Model (Vasquez's "The River's Memory") TEKS 7.7A, 7.9D, 7.11B
Idea Development (0–3 Points) Effective organization with a clear central idea; thorough text evidence from the poem; well-elaborated analysis explaining how personification and imagery develop the theme of endurance.
Conventions & Syntax (0–2 Points) Consistent command of grade-level grammar, sentence structure, mechanics, capitalization, and punctuation that contribute to clear communication.
Score Point 5 Model Student Essay (Single-Passage Analysis):
[Introduction & Thesis] In the poem "The River's Memory" by L. M. Vasquez, the speaker explores the relationship between the natural world and human industry. Through poignant personification and imagery of industrial decay, Vasquez develops the central theme that natural forces quietly outlast human accomplishments and heal the scars left on the earth.
[Body 1: Personification as Caretaker] Throughout the poem, Vasquez personifies the river as a gentle, maternal guardian rather than an aggressive force. In the first two stanzas, the river is called "an archivist of stone" who "hums in undertones her ancient song." Instead of destroying the human machinery abandoned in her path, she "cradles timber from the miller's wheel" and "masks the scars of long-forgotten steel." Words such as "cradles," "washes clean," and "gently sweeps away" reveal that the river patiently restores the landscape, treating human remnants with quiet care.
[Body 2: Imagery of Human Decline vs. Eternal Flow] Furthermore, the poet uses contrasting imagery to highlight that while human technology is temporary, nature is permanent. The machines that once dominated the shore eventually fall into ruin: "engines rust," "mighty mills collapse," and "locomotives thunder nevermore." In contrast to these crumbling machines, the river remains undefeated. In the final stanza, the speaker notes that "the river keeps the promises she made: / To flow unbroken through the sun and shade." This contrast proves that human power is fleeting, but nature’s persistence is eternal.
[Conclusion] Ultimately, Vasquez demonstrates that time belongs to the earth. Through tender personification and vivid descriptions of decaying mills, the poem reminds readers that nature quietly reclaims what humans build, continuing to flow long after machines fall silent.
Scoring Commentary: Clear thesis, multi-paragraph structure, sustained analysis of craft and theme, exact evidence. Score: 5 / 5 (3 Idea Dev + 2 Conv)
Educator Answer Key & TEA Rubric Breakdown • Grade 7 Verse Craft Assessment PAGE 4 OF 4
